Wolf Riders
|upkeep_cost = |num_figures = |moves = |melee = |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = }} Wolf Riders are a type of Normal Unit. This unit is unique to the Gnoll Race, and can only be built in Gnoll towns, for the Construction Cost of . The town must already contain both a Barracks and a Stables for this to be possible. Wolf Riders are the Gnolls' counterpart for Cavalry. Though they lack the Cavalry's First Strike ability, Wolf Riders are stronger, faster and more durable. They possess a very powerful , with each individual Wolf Rider having enough strength to pierce through Normal Unit armor with ease. All 4 Wolf Riders attacking together are lethal even to low-tier Fantastic Units, and in large groups can threaten stronger creatures as well. Their fast movement speed allows them to reach any target on the battlefield easily, or to avoid dangerous opponents. Wolf Riders require an Upkeep Cost of and to maintain. Failure to pay these costs will result in the unit being disbanded automatically. Unit Properties Physical Description Wolf Riders are a group of fur-covered humanoids, more akin to jackals than to humans. They wear the blue tunics that are a standard part of the Gnoll army uniform. Wolf Riders are mounted on horse-sized grey wolves, who carry their riders at great speeds across the battlefield. The riders themselves are armed with longswords for combat, though their wolves participate in combat just as effectively, using their own claws and fangs to tear the enemy to shreds. Wolf Riders are a , containing when fully healed. Attack Properties The Wolf Riders have the strongest Melee Attack of all Gnoll Normal Units - though only marginally stronger than Gnoll Halberdiers. Each Wolf Rider attacks with a strength of , resulting in an average damage output of per . This is quite high for a Normal Unit, and can easily pierce the armor of most enemy Normal Units and some Fantastic Units as well. With all 4 Wolf Riders attacking in unison, Wolf Riders can be a significant threat - especially after they've collected some Experience. Though Wolf Riders are meant to be the counterpart to other races' Cavalry, they do not possess the First Strike ability. Defense Properties Wolf Riders wear only the same basic armor as weaker Gnoll units, giving them a Defense score of only . This allows them to block an average of about from incoming attacks. On the other hand, Wolf Riders possess a significant amount of Hit Points, at per . This means that each individual Wolf Rider is much harder to kill than most Normal Units, even if damage does manage to get through the armor. This gives the unit some survivability, though more often this unit will attempt to engage enemies that pose little danger to it. For purposes of defending against Curses and other combat maledictions, the Wolf Riders have only a basic Resistance score of , same as other Gnoll units. This is a very low amount, and will not truly protect the unit from such ill effects. With Experience this score will improve somewhat, though plenty of Experience is required to make the unit actually resistant to any respectable degree. Other Properties Wolf Riders move at an impressive rate of . Though they can only traverse land tiles, this high Movement Allowance makes them great scouts, and also assists them in outflanking and outmaneuvering enemy units on the battlefield with ease. The Wolf Riders can practically choose their own targets during battle, and can nullify enemy First Strike by never allowing the enemy a chance to close in for a charge. Basic Strategy Wolf Riders serve as the Gnolls' counterpart to Cavalry, and in some ways perform this task significantly better - thanks both to their high Melee Attack score and their impressive Movement Allowance. During combat, Wolf Riders can freely maneuver to choose their own targets - striking the enemy where it is most vulnerable. They can outflank the enemy's stronger defenders to reach the enemy's weaker units, i.e. Ranged Attack units, with great ease. They can also attack enemy units on the flanks, and withdraw quickly if a stronger enemy unit attempts to chase them. Wolf Riders can easily outrun horse cavalry and possibly even Heroes. Once the army is deprived of its weaker units, Wolf Riders can gang up on stronger enemy units. The Wolf Riders have some staying power in face-to-face combat, though their weak armor means that several Wolf Riders would need to engage a strong enemy unit to defeat it. Fortunately, Wolf Riders are not too expensive, and can be produced in respectable quantities when necessary. Note that due to their weak armor, Wolf Riders are quite vulnerable to enemy Ranged Attacks and should therefore attempt to eliminate enemy units capable of such attacks early in the battle. Also, the Wolf Riders' low Resistance score makes them very vulnerable to Curses and most Special Attacks. Finally, note that thanks to their high Movement Allowance, Wolf Riders make a good early-game scouting unit, which can cover great distances with ease. Ability Overview The Wolf Riders unit has no abilities listed in its unit details panel. It has to rely only on its primary combat properties during battle. Experience Table The following table illustrates how Wolf Riders improve as they gain Experience. Any properties that are not listed here do not improve with Experience in any way. * To achieve this level, either the Warlord Retort or the Crusade spell must be in play. ** To achieve this level, both the Warlord Retort and the Crusade spell must be in play simultaneously. Average Damage Output The table below details the average amount of damage that each in a Wolf Riders unit will deliver with each type of attack, based on . It can be used in comparison to the target's Defense rating to figure out the chance of hurting that target. Acquisition Wolf Riders are unique to the Gnoll race, and thus may be produced in any Gnoll Town. A town must contain both a Barracks and a Stables to be able to produce Wolf Riders. Should a town lose an existing Barracks or Stables, it can no longer produce Wolf Riders until replacement structures are built. The Construction Cost of this unit is . Wolf Riders may appear for hire as Mercenaries. They may already have some Experience on being hired, and several units may be hired simultaneously. Hiring these units requires a certain cost in that depends on many different factors. Wolf Rider Mercenaries have the same Upkeep Cost as a normally-constructed unit. Category:Units Category:Normal Units Category:Gnolls